Combined timer and distributor



L. T. RHOADES I COMBINED TIMI ZR AND DISTRIBUTOR led Dec. '7, 1920 3 Sfieets-Sheet 1 L. T. RHOADES COMBINED TIMER AND DISTRIBUTOR Filed Dec. '7, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 wn xmg Dec. 1924 1,517,653 L. T. RHOADES COMBINED TIMER AND DISTRIBUTOR Filed Dec. '7, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Dec. 2, 1924.

y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS T. RHOADES, 0F MONT CLARE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO NEW YORK COIL COMPANY, OF NEW! YORK, N. Y.

COMBINED TIMER Application filed December To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Lnwrs T. RHoADns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mont Clare, in the county of Montgomery and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Timers and Distributors, of which the following is a specification.

One object of my present invention is to provide an improved combined timer and distributor for automobiles which are not equipped with a distributor type system of ignition, For example the device of my present invention is particularly well adapted as a substitute device for a car using four separate vibrating coils and a conventional timer in the primary or low tension circuit such as the well known Ford automobile and when so used it will take the place of said conventional timer and three of said four coils can be discarded and the high tension for the one coil can be distributed to the cylinders so as to insure perfect and regular occurrence of the spark which was not possible where four of such coils were used since it was practically impossible to make all of the coils produce positive and similar ignition.

Another object is to so construct the apparatus of my present invention that it can be quickly and easily substituted for the timing and ignition apparatus of cars of the above described type without requiring any changing of the parts of the engine proper. For example the device of my invention is so constructed that it includes a main supporting bracket which, when used in connection with a Ford car, has two legs having bolt holes so arranged that they register respectively with twoholes in the front of the engine so that by means of two bolts, the bracket may be clamped to the engine with out drilling or machine work of any character. v t

A further object is to make the device of my invention of a durable and simple construction which can be readily manufactured, easily adjusted and so that it cannot easilyg'et out of proper Working order.

These objects, and other advantageous ends which will be described hereinafter, I attain in the following manner, referencebe} ing had to the accompanyingdrawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating in dot=anddash'lines, the'outline of'a n engine" AND DISTRIBUTOR.

7, 1920. Serial No. 428,863.

such for example as a Ford engine and showing in full lines the position which my improved device assumes when secured to said engine as above described,

Figure 2 is an enlarged section taken on the line of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 8-3 of Figure 2 and shown on an enlarged scale,

Figure 4; is a fragmentary section taken on the line 4& of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 3,

Figure 7 is a top plan view of my improved device with the cap removed,

Figure 8 is a side view of the main supporting bracket which forms an important part of my present invention,

Figure 9 is a view of said bracket looking in the direction of the arrow in Figure 8,

Figure 10 is a perspective view of the contact operating arm which forms a part of my present invention,

Figure 11 is an elevation of a shaft which forms a part of my invention, and

Figure 12 is an enlarged fragmentary section of a portion of said shaft which is constructed to permit advantageous functions hereinafter described.

Referring to the drawings, 13 represents an engine of the Ford type which on its end 14 has two holes 15, which are usually employed for the purpose of holding the cover plate 16 in place, and in attaching my iin proved device, I employ these two holes through which I extend bolts 17; said bolts passing through holes 18 in legs 19 of a'main supporting bracket 20. The bracket 20includes a cup-shape body portion 21'wh'ich'is" open. at its end 22 which is adapted to be placed adjacent the endof the engine 13 in a manner clearly shown in Figure 1.

To secure the bracket to the engine as above described and to substitute the same for the conventional timer, the" latter is re moved and a bevel gear 23 is slipped on the end of the time shaft 24Pand is securedtheref to by the same fasteningfdrmerly employed for the rotating element of the conventional or usual timer. The space within the cupshape'body portion 21 provides room for the bevel gear 23 and the bracket 20 has an arm 26 which projects upwardly and its upper provide hearings for a vertical shaft 3:1; said vertical shattharing a. here ar 3% :itits liottoin which meshes with the hovel and is also located. within the he shaft gear 25 of the hotly ortion clearly shown in liiggure l adjacent its np and has an annular flange 33" which is azlaptecl to hear upon the top ec e oi? the collar 27 as shown in Figure 45 Th1 tlan e El -l which is of greater fil 'itlllltttl than th 3 lILilQlGl (it the tie ahlv are made in the form of eluee the same in a on. the ring hein r secured t l; 7 l to produce an :uinnlar I holds the flange 33 in oinean thus he made oi? a Q J pl: (f6 without reipinring that the i tion ot'ihe length of the shatt tinned.

from an eta-optionally lzn'ge pieee o't metal and in this manner I am enabled to eheaply and (put-lily manufacture this part of the lOViCQ. Tl e extreme upper end portion ot the shaft 33 is made hollow so as t provide a cavity 37 and the hollow portion is split as shown at 38 so that it rosy he slightly expanded elder certain conditions hereinafter deserihecli The shatt 3?; innn (liately helow the hollow portion 33 has 'upped here A. distribute-r heacl and timer int-holes a hase 40 which u'iey he niatle ol i'uetal which has huh portion 41 which is proritleil with a bore in which the collar is azla ttecl to rotatahlr fit; sairl huh po tion hating its lower on e in enga,

einont it i h the shoulder set serew the base and has a pro ect within the ilYiGll. the eollar uncl. the huh as well as to luhru ate the hearing: of the shaft The base l inelncles 46 adapted to form a mounting for the bottom edge ot a rap 4-7; said rap 14' being preferably made oi GlCCtTlU non-eoncluetin ii'mterial sueh cmnpressetl fiber or the like. This cap is secured to the base by neans o1? ehps t? which are macle of: strips of resilient metal VJZUICl. the lobes :"il in order to seeure the cap to the base. Furthermoe the inner irlace oi the cap 4-? is recessed as shown at '53 to provide an entrance for a lip t so that the cap 4:? is hehl against rotatim relatively to the base 40.

A cam 55 has 2, hole 56 so thy when the ho lo n portion 36 ot' the shaft o in its normal PUSH-O1}; it will tit sai l hole 56 so in z that the cam. 55 (1: he plaeeil m t. top ol the shaft and can normally he 'l' 'l(/i,lf zoi utetl. However, in order to secure the mun to the shaft, I provide a screw which tits the tap 'ied liore ill} in toe 3 z=n l has an upwardly tlaring hezd 58: the extreme upper end of whieh of largager diameter than the e: vi-tr 37 so that lry turning? (lee-'11 upon the serew 57, the heatl 58 thereot will expand the hollow portion 36 ot the strait 33 and thereby locl: the cam to the shaft 33. The :ain has tour projections 50 which luring rotation ot the shait 3 are :ulaptetl to wipe against a oylii ilrieal incl oi 'til'n'ous material; saiil pail heir. mired to the base by means of a ill: the pzul extending ei'itirely to the top surtaee (E2 oi. the Ease and partwa ever the This pail (30.

here 42 ot the hose sha (1 HWY 1 during); the rotation o the shatt 333- aiul earn 11% i, serves to ahsoro an; oil which worln; way \uin'i-aiwlly through the here 4" and apply the oil to the projeetious rain said inojeetions being operative in '1 in? iner hereinat Lleserihed. l urther o the eiitire upper surface 12 oi the liase 40 and tl e deviee is therefore kept tree of oil othe than the plaees vhieh i'nust he ,lnluieated.

i sp ing plate t; whieh is pre oi tlat steel has :1 ha

tl-lrio'ii'l plate one einl.

l pm to enxl M t 10 s wing: plate 23 has :1 s ot '1 Y shown in .le'ure li'l: saiil slot 1 i o as Plea i A win elongated in the tlirertioo )L', tie spring); plate ii-3. 'l h' nositioned as elearly sho Hi ll V i Uses 1 fl and 7 uiwl it nretl a on 'iul l ly a ieren (36 whieh is e thraunzh the slot (l5 and engages within :1 lug 'flT: there preterahly being a split ring);- spring washer ($54 interposed between the plate an l the heail of the screw so that said end is tirinl secured to the lug 67. The hardened plate c4 is adapted to be engaged by the projections 59 of the am, during the rotation of the shaft A support 69 which is in sulated from the base l0 has an upturned lip '70 which is split as shown at 71; said split also extending into the bottom portion 72 of the support 69. The lip has a tapped hole with which the split Tl communicates and an adjusting screw 73 extends through said tapped hole and has a contact 74; on its end opposed to a contact 75 on the hardened plate G l. A. coiled spring 76 has one and bearing on the spring plat-e in back of the hardened plate (is; the opposite end ot the coiled spring 76 being positioned within a cavity 7"? in a lug 78 which projects upwardly from the base 40. Under normal conditions and when no one of the projections as of the cam 55 is in engagement with the hardened plates the spring "('6 will hold the contact 7 in direct and positive engagement. with the contact and with this arrangement I avoid all pivotal hinge. connections since the spring plate 64; is rigidly connected to the lug 67 and only flexes when the projections 59 of the cam 55 engage and push outwardly the hardened plate 64! so as to separate the contacts 741: and T Thus the spring plate and hardened plate 64 provide a contact operating arm which has no pivotal hinge connection whatever but depends upon the flexible character of the plate 63 and the positive acting spring '76 in order to move the contact 75 into engagement with the contact 74; when permitted to do so by the cam 55.

A rotor block or head 79 includes a part made of non-conducting material having a cavity in which its the upper end of the cam The cam 55 being substantially angular and the cavity in the head 79 being of substantially the same shape, the head 7 9 will be rotatably secured to the cam and in order to insure that the head is placed in its proper relative position with respect to the cam, I preferably cut a portion of the top of the cam away as shown at 80 and make the cavity of the head 79 of similar section so that the head must always be placed on the cam in the same relative position thereto. The head 79 carries a spring 81 which has a free end adapted to engage always upon a contact member 82 which depends axially into the cap and is in electric connection with a wire 83. Qther wires 84 lead into the space within the cap and a 'e in connection with metallic projecting members 85 which in the present instance are illustrated in the form of screw threaded stems which may be a part of the means which secure the wires to the cap. The spring 81 is in direct contact with a plate supported on the head 79; said plate having an arcuate edge 87 adapted during the rotation oi? the shaft to pass successively into close proximity to the members which as previously stated are in electric connection with the wires 8% which lead to the spark plugs. 'Iihe support 69 is in electric connection with a wire 88 adapted to conduct low tension current from the coil and it will be noted troin the above description that the contact operating arm is grounded in view of the tact that there is a direct metallic connection between the several parts leading to and supported by the engine. The wire 83 is connected to the secondary of the coil and since the wire 83 carries low tension current from the primary of the coil, the high tension current which will be set up in the secondary will be conducted through the wire 83, spring 81, plate St) and during the rotation or the head 79, this high tension current will successively pass through the gap bu tween the edge 8'? ot the plate tit and the members This current will then be conducted to the spark plugs which constitute the other current of: the circuit. The sparl; may be advanced or retarded at will by rotatin the base and cap relatively to the head 49 and I have illustrated tor this p or pose, an extension 89 which may be connected with any suitable device sncl as the rod 90 which may be controlled by the operator of the automobile in the usual manner.

It will be noted. that in order to insure the proper positioning of the parts before the screw 57 is tightened, the distributor head 79 can be moved carrying the cam with it until the contacts "74 and 75 are together. This at once simplifies the setting or timing of the spark to occur at the exact and proper instant of the pistons travel in the engine. Furthermore this setting is accomplished without any attention whatever being paid to the meshing oi the bevel gears 23 and 2e.

While I have described my invention as taking a particular form, it will be under stood that the various parts of my invention may be changed without departing from the spirit thereof, and hence I do not limit myself to the precise construction set forth, but consider that I am at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described by invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Apparatus of the character described including an operative cam; an electric contact member a supporting structure; a contact operating arm including a contact portion and a flexible spring plate having a portion rigidly secured to the supporting structure; and a spring independently op" erative to flex said plate to move and hold said contact portion of the arm in engagesecured.

a. swung:

and lax $21 .101; portion of t portion vi. 1 1i dly at 1'1. ctr:

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